Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 53, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 October 1917 — MILLIONS WASTED IN ROADS [ARTICLE]

MILLIONS WASTED IN ROADS

Poor Inspection and Wrong Material Have Proven Expensive. At a convention of the County Commissioners’ association held in Indianapolis last week, plans of permanent road building and maintenance Were discussed at some length, as it seemed to be the general opinion of the commissioners present that the present system oi road building and maintenance was far too E'. B. Schmidt of Laporte, in an address on “Brick Roads in Indiana,” declared that “Indiana is burdened by laws, which to be~ charitable, are peculiar. 'have been wasted by poor inspection,” continued Mr. Schmidt, who pointed out an Indiana law providing that the road inspector must be appointed from the township in which the road is being built. He advocated skilled engineering inspection to see that the people got 100 cents for each

dollar spent in road building. Old style gravel road? are 'no longer satisfactory, said Schmidt, pointing out that roads must be permanent. The modern brick road is the best of permanent roads, he asserted. These roads, he contended, though costing much at first, are in reality the cheapest because they last, with little cost for maintenance.